CENSORED BOOKS IN THE USA


INTRO:

This is a short list over places and reasons for books banned in the USA. This document is some years old, and not quite up to date. I discovered it on one of my old 360KBs during the recent disputes following restrictions on Alice Walker's latest book in California. That case got a happy ending, most of the ones listed below did not. As this is a late 80's list, though, the status of some entries may have changed. Conclusion: This is a list of examples, and not by any means a complete list over prose censorship in the US! For an up to date list, check out "The Most Frequently Banned Books in the 1990s".


Censored Books

Responding to the Meese commission's official approval of pressure-group censorship, Waldenbooks staged a promotion featuring 52 volumes that had been "challenged, burned or banned somewhere in the United States in the last 15 years." The titles and the reasons for outrage against these books are so astounding that we decided to publish the complete list.




THE BASTARD

by John Jakes


      Removed from Montour (Pennsylvania) High School library, 1976.


BLOODLINE

by Sidney Sheldon


      Challenged in       Abingdon, Virginia, 1980;
                  Elizabethton, Tennessee, 1981.


BRAVE NEW WORLD

by Aldous Huxley


      Removed from classroom, Miller, Missouri, 1980.
      Challenged frequently throughout the U.S.


CARRIE

by Stephen King

Considered "trash" that is especially harmful for "younger girls."
      Challenged by Clark High School library, Las Vegas, Nevada, 1975.
      Placed on special closed shelf in Union High School library, Vergennes,
      Vermont, 1978.


THE CATCHER IN THE RYE

by JD Salinger

Considered "dangerous" because of vulgarity, occultism, violence and sexual content.
      Banned in Freeport High School, DeFuniak Springs, Florida, 1985.
      Removed from
            Issaquah, Washington, optional high school reading list, 1978;
            required reading list, Middleville, Michingan, 1979.;
            Jackson-Milton school libraries, North Jackson, Ohio, 1980;
            Anniston, Alabama, high school libraries, 1982.
      Challenged by Libby (Montana) High School, 1983.


CATCH-22

by

Considered "dangerous" because of objectionable language.
      Banned in Strongsville, Ohio, 1972 (overturned in 1976).
      Challenged by Dallas, Texas, Independent School District high school
             libraries, 1974,
             Snoqualmie, Washington, 1979.


THE CLAN OF THE CAVE BEAR

by Jean M Auel

Challenged by numerous public libraries.


A CLOCKWORK ORANGE

by Anthony Burgess

"Objectionable" language.
      Removed from
            Westport, Rhode Island, high school classrooms, 1977;
            Aurora, Colorado, high school classrooms, 1976;
            Anniston, Alabama, high school libraries, 1982.


THE COLOR PURPLE

by Alice Walker

Considered inappropriate because of its "troubling ideas about race relations, man's relationship to God, African history and human sexuality."
      Challenged by Oakland, California, high school honors class, 1984;
      rejected for purchase by Hayward, California, school trustees.


THE CRUCIBLE

by Arthur Miller

Considered dangerous because it contains "sick words from the mouths of demon-possessed people."
      Challenged by Cumberland Valley High School, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania,
      1982.


CUJO

by Stephen King

Profanity and strong sexual content cited as reasons for opposition.
      Banned by Washington County, Alabama, Board of Education, 1985;
      challenged by Rankin County, Mississippi, School District, 1984;
      removed from Bradford, New York, school library, 1985;
      rejected for purchase by Hayward, California, school trustees, 1985.


DEATH OF A SALESMAN

by Arthur Miller

Cited for profanity.
      Banned by Spring Valley Community High School, French Lick, Indiana,
             1981;
      challenged by Dallas, Texas, Independent School District high school
             libraries, 1974.


THE DEVIL'S ALTERNATIVE

by


      Removed by Evergreen School District, Vancouver, Washington, 1983.


THE DIARY OF A YOUNG GIRL

by Anne Frank

Objections to sexually offensive passages.
      Challenged by Wise County, Virginia, 1982;
             Alabama State Book Committee, 1983.


EAST OF EDEN

by John Steinbeck

Considered "ungodly and obscene."
      Removed from Anniston, Alabama, high school libraries, 1982;
                        Morris, Manitoba, school libraries, 1982.


A FAREWELL TO ARMS

by Ernest Hemingway

Labeled as a "sex novel."
      Challenged by Dallas, Texas, Independent School District high school
            libraries, 1974;
            Vernon-Verona-Sherill, New York, School District, 1980.


FIRESTARTER

by Stephen King

Cited for "graphic descriptions of sexual acts, vulgar language and violence."
      Challenged by Campbell County, Wyoming, school system, 1983-1984.


FLOWERS FOR ALGERNON

by Daniel Keyes

Explicit, distasteful love scenes cited among reasons for opposition.
      Banned by Plant City, Florida, 1976;
             Emporium, Pennsylvania, 1977;
             Glen Rose (Arkansas) High School library, 1981.
      Challenged by Oberlin (Ohio) High School, 1983;
                  Glenrock (Wyoming) High School, 1984.


FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC

by VC Andrews

Considered "dangerous" because it contains "offensive passages concerning incest and sexual intercourse."
      Challenged by Richmond (Rhode Island) High School, 1983.


FOREVER

by Judy Blume

Detractors cite its "four-letter words and [talk] about masturbation, birth control and disobedience to parents."
      Challenged by Midvalley Junior-Senior High School library, Scranton,
             Pennsylvania, 1982;
             Orlando, Florida, schools, 1982;
             Akron, Ohio, School District libraries, 1983;
             Howard-Suamico (Wisconsin) High School, 1983;
             Holdredge, Nebraska, Public Library, 1984;
             Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Public Library, 1984;
             Patrick County, Virginia, School Board, 1986;
             Park Hill (Missouri) South Junior High School library,
                        1982.


THE GRAPES OF WRATH

by John Steinbeck

Considered "dangerous" because of obscene language and the unfavorable depiction of a former minister.
      Banned in Kanawha, Iowa, 1980; Morris, Manitoba, 1982.
      Challenged by Vernon-Verona-Sherill, New York, School District, 1980;
             Richford, Vermonth, 1991.(?)


HARRIET THE SPY

by Louise Fitzhugh

Considered "dangerous" because it "teaches children to lie, spy, back-talk and curse."
            Challenged by Xenia, Ohio, school libraries, 1983.


HUCKLEBERRY FINN

by Mark Twain

Considered "dangerous" because of objectionable language and "racist" terms and content.
            Challenged by Winnetka, Illinois, 1976;
                   Warrington, Pennsylvania, 1981;
                   Davenport, Iowa, 1981;
                   Fairfax County, Virginia, 1982;
                   Houston, Texas, 1982;
                   State College, Pennsylvania, area school district
                         1983;
                   Springfield, Illinois, 1983
                   Waukegan, Illinois, 1984.


I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS

by Maya Angelou

Considered "dangerous" because it preaches "bitterness and hatred against whites."
            Challenged by Alabama State Textbook Committee, 1983.


GGIE'S HOUSE

by Judy Blume


            Challenged by Caspar, Wyoming, school libraries, 1984.


IT'S OKAY IF YOU DON'T LOVE ME

by Norma Klein

Considered "dangerous" because it portrays "sex as the only thing on your people's minds."
      Banned in Haywood County, California, 1981.
      Removed by Widefield (Colorado) High School, 1983;
             Vancouver, Washington, School District, 1984.


THE LIVING BIBLE

by William C Bower

Considered "dangerous" because it is "a perverted commentary on the King James Version."
      Burned in Gastonia, North Carolina, 1986.


LORD OF THE FLIES

by William Golding

Considered "demoralizing inasmuch as it implies that man is little more than an animal."
      Challenged by Dallas, Texas, Independent School District high school
             libraries, 1974;
             Sully Buttes (South Dakota) High School, 1981;
             Owen (North Carolina) High School, 1981;
             Marana (Arizona) High School, 1983;
             Olney, Texas, Independent School District, 1984.


LOVE IS ONE OF THE CHOICES

by Norma Klein


      Removed from Evergreen School District, Vancouver, Washington, 1983.


THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES

by Ray Bradbury

Profanity and the use of God's name in vain sparked opposition to this novel.
      Challenged by Haines City (Florida) High School, 1982.


MATARESE CIRCLE

by Robert Ludlum

"Unnecessarily rough language and sexual descriptions" caused opposition to this novel.
      Restricted (to students with parental consent) by Pierce (Nebraska)
       High School, 1983.


THE MERCHANT OF VENICE

by William Shakespeare

Objections to purported anti-Semitism.
      Banned by Midland, Michigan, classrooms, 1980.


NINETEEN EIGHTY-FOUR

by George Orwell

Objections to pro- Communist material and explicit sexual matter.
      Challenged by Jackson County, Florida, 1981.


OF MICE AND MEN

by John Steinbeck

Considered "dangerous" because of its profanity and "vulgar language."
      Banned in Syracuse, Indiana, 1974;
             Oil City, Pennsylvania, 1977;
             Grand Blanc, Michigan, 1979;
             Continental, Ohio, 1980l
             Skyline High School,       Scottsboro, Alabama, 1983.
      Challenged by Greenville, South Carolina, 1977;
             Vernon-Verona- Sherill, New York, School District, 1980;
             St. David, Arizona, 1981;
             Telly City, Indiana, 1982; Knoxville, Tennessee, School Board, 1984.


ONE DAY IN THE LIFE OF IVAN DENISOVICH

by Alexander Solzhenitsyn

Objectionable language.
      Removed by Milton (New Hampshire) High School library, 1976.
      Challenged by Mahwah, New Jersey, 1976;
             Omak, Washington, 1979;
             Mohawk Trail Regional High School, Buckland, Mass, 1981.


ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST

by Ken Kesey


      Removed from required reading list by Westport, Massachusetts, 1977.
      Banned by Freemont High School, St. Anthony, Idaho. (Instructor was
                  fired.)
      Challenged by Merrimack (New Hampshire) High School, 1982.


ORDINARY PEOPLE

by Judith Guest

Called "obscene" and "depressing."
      Banned (temporarily) by Merrimack (New Hampshire) High School, 1982.


OTHERWISE KNOWN AS SHEILA THE GREAT

by Judy Blume


      Challenged by Caspar, Whyoming, school libraries, 1984.


THE PIGMAN

by Paul Zindel

Considered "dangerous" because it features "liars, cheaters and stealers."
      Challenged by Hillsboro, Missouri, School District, 1985.


THE RED PONY

by John Steinbeck

Called a "filthy, trashy sex novel."
      Challenged by Vernon-Verona-Sherill, New York, School District, 1980.


THE SEDUCTION OF PETER S

by Lawrence Sanders

Called "blatantly graphic, pornographic and wholly unacceptable for a high school library."
      Burned by Stroudsburg (Pennsylvania) High School library, 1985.


A SEPARATE PEACE

by John Knowles

Detractors cite offensive language and sex as dangerous elements in this novel.
       Challenged by Vernon-Verona-Sherill, New York, School District, 1980;
             Fannett-Metal High School, Shippensburg, Pa, 1985.


THE SHINING

by Stephen King

Considered dangerous because it "contains violence and demonic possession and ridicules the Christian religion."
      Challenged by Campbell County, Wyoming, school system, 1983.
      Banned by Washington County, Alabama, Board of Education, 1985.


SILAS MARNER

by George Eliot


      Banned by Union High School, Anaheim, California, 1978.


SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE

by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr

Considered "dangerous" because of violent, irreverent, profane and sexually explicit content.
      Burned in Drake, North Carolina, 1973;
             Rochester, Michigan, 1972;
             Levittown, New York, 1975;
             North Jackson, Ohio, 1979;
             Lakeland, Florida, 1982.
      Barred from purchase by Washington Park High School, Racine, Wi, 1984.
      Challenged by Owensboro (Kentucky) High School library, 1985.


SUPERFUDGE

by Judy Blume

Disapproval based on "profane, immoral andoffensive" content.
      Challenged by Caspar, Wyoming, school libraries, 1984;
             Bozeman, Montana, school libraries, 1985.


THAT WAS THEN, THIS IS NOW

by S.E. Hinton.

Objections to "graphic language, subject matter, immoral tone and lack of literary quality."
      Challenged by Pagosa Springs, Colorado, 1983.


TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

by Harper Lee

Considered "dangerous" because of profanity and undermining of race relations.
      Challenged (temporaily banned) in Eden Valley, Minnesota, 1977;
             Vernon-Verona-Sherill, New York, School District, 1980;
             Warren, Indiana, township schools, 1981;
             Waukegan, Illinois, School District, 1984;
             Kansas City, Missouri, junior high schools, 1985;
             Park Hill (Missouri) Junior High School, 1985.
      Protested by black parents and NAACP in Casa Grande (Arizona)
             Elementary School District, 1985.


ULYSSES

by James Joyce

"Given its long history of censorship, ULYSSES has rarely been selected for high school libraries." -- Judith Krug, director, Office for Intellectual Freedom, American Library Association, 1986.


UNCLE TOM'S CABIN

by Harriet B Stowe

Use of the word nigger caused opposition.
      Challenged by Waukegan, Illinois, School District, 1984.


WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS

by Shel Silverstein

Considered by opponents to undermine parental, school and religious authority.
      Pulled from shelves for review by MinotNorth Dakota, public school
            libraries, 1986.
      Challenged by Xenia, Ohio, school libraries, 1983..

Sources for all of the above information: American Library Association RESOURCE BOOK FOR BANNED BOOK WEEK 1986 and the NEWSLETTER ON INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM, published by the Office for Intellectual Freedom. Complete documentation is available from the American Library Association.
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